Theme Backlit stag in morning mist

[Simon Davis]

Not sure if I can join the theme comp as a new member but the topic made me think of this image I took a few years ago so I thought I'd share it anyway :)

This is a red deer stag taken in Richmond Park, London. The deer are wild but managed (population controlled with an annual cull and additional feed provided over winter). They are used to people being about so are fairly easy to get close to (in fact many visitors get too close) but it can still be challenging to get a decent image as many things can spoil the background such as fences round the base of trees and other park users so it's rewarding when you can get an image that looks "natural". This particular morning the mist was lit up as the stag made his way through this clearing. I really like the atmosphere of the shot.

Canon 70D & Sigma 300mm f/2.8 @ f/6.3, 1/6400 sec, ISO 800 (no idea what I was thinking with that now - I was shooting in Av with Aperture and ISO set from previous shots in totally different light!)

[Stuart Philpott]

Simon the warmest of welcome's i'm a brit learning I love your image I'm unsure of your processing ,but definitely not one to advise !! Too me there may be more colour to be had ,the deftness of a misty morn here is caught,but I think there is more punch to be had,within that soft muted palette of colours and tones available.

I like your comp, the stag,s placement,it's England in the Autumn complete with oak, a red stag and mist. Buddy i'm very interested in what the group say......how did you find WB I might clone that bright hi light just below level of stags legs, to the right,once you spot it it is never going away.

Just lovely Simon thank you for sharing it's been lovely to muse this view of Richmond with you. I have never been,too many folks and the "smoke" is just plain scary!!

I do enjoy seeing what photographers do there though,I love the fact that this is London.

take care TFS

stu

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Simon - A warm welcome to BPN and to the Wildlife Forum in particular. As a Limited Member you are welcome to participate in our Themes but, as with IOTW, only full members are eligible for honors. (If you become a full member before the judging then you'll be eligible.)

This is a beautiful first post with a very ethereal feeling to it. You mentioned the techs which do look a bit off but no doubt somehow contributed to the feeling here. Your image has an embedded ProPhoto RGB color profile. For showing on the web it's best to convert to sRGB so that there is no color shift which can occur with certain browsers. If it were mine I would take some off the bottom and left to remove the brightest plant in the lower right corner. I do wish the stag was either more parallel to the sensor or the head angled slightly toward you rather than away but not a deal breaker. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your wildlife images.

The best way to get the most out of BPN is to actively participate and become a part of the community. We recommend posting comments on 3-5 other Wildlife images each time you post one of your own. That way we can all get to know each other. Your critiques don't have to be technical in nature. Just tell us what you like and/or don't like about an image. Learning the critique process can have a huge impact on one's own photography.

TFS,
Rachel

[John Mack]

Great frame. Love the mood portrayed here.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Simon and another warm welcome.

Agree on your own crit on the techs, no harm done, just meant that the ISO would have been lower if you had a slightly lower SS which with the 7D may have made a small difference on IQ as it's not that forgiving unless you get the Exposure spot on. I like the 'etherial' look and feel, but also question whether with some simple Curves adjustments it creates a bit more tonal depth and layering, however this may depart too much from the original capture? The head angle is not ideal, looking away, but here I think it helps as it clarifies the head & rack.

Hope to see more.

TFS
Steve

[Simon Davis]

Thanks for the comments. I think with this image there are many ways to approach the processing so suggestions taken on board. I got a few frames as he crossed but this was the best of the poses.
Rachel - I'll keep an eye on the colour space.

[haseeb badar]

Hi Simon -- A very warm welcome and nice post as well. Agree with what others have said above . Do wish to see you posting more and developing yourself in time to come . Keep them coming . TFS !

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Simon welcome to the forum ....
A lovely and very moody image you start your business with ...in here.
I do like the overall misty feel and the overall bright appearance of the frame . It works well that the stag is framed by the canopy , well seen .I would just loose the brighter FG and start the foot where the " darker " tones are starting to appear .
I can see where Steve is coming from with his thoughts on the tonality of the image , worth a try , but this frame is worth keeping as well .

Keep them coming. TFS Andreas

[Glenn Pure]

Simon, great mood in this one. These foggy shots are hard to do well - I've tried a number of times myself without a lot of luck. But what you have done here looks great to me. I'm not bothered by the head angle as in silhouette, it's much less obvious the animal isn't looking towards us (instead of away) - I had to study the image to conclude it was looking away. I think these shots benefit from trying a lot of things to see what gives the best result as they are matters of interpretation as much as literal reflection of the scene. Steve has made a suggestion. If mine, I'd also try dropping the overall exposure/brightness a little to see what that did. No guarantee it would be any better though but worth a try.

[Morkel Erasmus]

A big welcome from me as well. A lovely moody image - typical London park scenery and good control of the light.
I would push the contrast a tad more if it were mine.
Rachel has given you some good pointers on how to get stuck into BPN.